Prospective Liverpool owners New England Sports Ventures have consulted Rick
Parry, the club’s former chief executive who supported the takeover of Tom
Hicks and George Gillett, over their own £300 million bid to buy the Anfield
side.

John W Henry and Tom Werner, the principal figures behind NESV, the group which owns the Boston Red Sox, met with Parry in his capacity both as an expert on Liverpool and the Premier League.

The 55-year-old spent six years as the league’s inaugural chief executive before taking up his post at Anfield and helped negotiate a then-record £700 million deal for television rights with Sky.

Parry, along with then chairman David Moores, elected to back Hicks’s and Gillett’s bid for Liverpool, rather than that of Dubai International

Capital, in February 2007. He retained his post at the club and is believed to have received a bonus of around £500,000 for helping complete the sale.

Despite publicly clashing with Hicks in 2008, suggesting either he or his partner should leave Liverpool if they were unable to work together, Parry only left the club in May last year after losing a power struggle with then manager Rafael Benítez.

The club’s most recent accounts showed Parry, after 11 years at Anfield, had received a £4.29 million pay-off.

Though he is just one of a number of experts consulted by NESV – who hope to complete their deal after a High Court hearing next week – it remains unclear whether he will be offered a role at the club should the takeover be completed.

Sources at Liverpool insisted this week that NESV have complete faith in the management structure already in place at the club and do not intend to make any immediate changes, though chairman Martin Broughton, brought in specifically to find a buyer, is likely to leave.

However, fresh doubts over the deal were raised on Friday night after it was reported that NESV would pull out should the Premier League dock the club nine points for going into administration – a possible outcome of this week’s High Court battle.

Takeover talk: sounds familiar?

George Gillett, Feb 2007: “We have bought the club with no debt on the club.”

George Gillett, Feb 2007: “If you put down the objectives, money would be no way near the top of the list, it would have winning, passion, heritage and legacy above that.”

Tom Hicks, May 2007: “The fans can sense that George and I want exactly what they want. We want to be regularly competing for the Premiership and Champions League.”

Tom Hicks, Mar 2008: “The Texas Rangers are a separate entity, like the other teams. [What happens at Liverpool] has no impact whatsoever.”

On the other hand...

Tom Hicks: “You do not even have to win a championship every year. You just have to show you are really trying.”

NESV statement, Oct 2010: “NESV wants to create a long-term foundation for Liverpool FC including the removal of all acquisition debt.”

NESV statement, Oct 2010: “Our objective is to return Liverpool to its rightful place in English and European football.”

NESV statement, Oct 2010: “We have a proven track record, shown clearly with the Boston Red Sox. We will bring the same kind of openness, passion and dedication to Liverpool FC.”

Larry Lucchino, Oct 2010: “This is not an undertaking of the Boston Red Sox and will not divert our resources or focus on the job at hand.”

NESV statement: “Our portfolio of companies are all committed to one common goal: winning.”